SW, "Quick cast" / Knots / Tarpon

Walter & Group.........

From Bob Rumpf:-

Hi Gordy & Group,

 

On occasion, even here in the mountains, I am asked by a student who plans a later trip to the flats, if I can demonstrate the Saltwater Quick Cast. I not only demonstrate the cast, I give them a print-out of the explanation for later reference. My explanation is as follows:

 

I demonstrate each step while I explain: - Although usually associated with saltwater, this cast is an excellent cast to have at your disposal anytime your goal is to get a fly out to a target fish ASAP. We perform this cast by first making sure we have at least 25 feet or so of line stripped outside the rod tip. Next we grasp the fly, usually between the thumb and forefinger safely behind the point and barb, holding a line loop is optional but can help you to control the extra slack. Now holding the fly hand underneath and to the outside of the casting arm, we make a forward roll cast allowing the momentum of the cast to actually pluck the fly from our fingers. When the roll cast straightens out, we make a back-cast with a haul shooting as much line as possible and follow with a forward cast with a haul to the target.

 

I usually add that the problem to avoid is ironically not to be in too much of a hurry so as to not let each of the casts straighten out which will naturally kill the loading process. If the student has any casting experience at all, they are usually performing the cast after several tries. I should also mention that I always explain that if time and funds allow in an effort to get the most out of their upcoming trip, it would be much to their benefit to spend some time with one of our many saltwater casting specialists.

 

Bob Rumpf

caddis@xxxxxxx

www.flyepenbooks.com

Instructions - www.catskillflies.com

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Bob...

 

I took the liberty of highlighting an important statement in your message.

 

Sometimes Tom White would ask a master candidate this question:  "As you make a saltwater, "quick cast", at what point do you release your fly ?"

 

Of course, the prefered answer is, "you don't.  It's best to let the cast pluck it from your grasp."

Gordy

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From Carl Zarelli ....

Good stuff Gordy ,

 

In the past I  had always used a Homer Rhodes or improved HR  or a simple 3 x clinch knot depending on the diameter of the leader/ tippet. 

 

Last year while fishing for giant tarpon my Mexican guide used the perfection loop for fly to  Shock Tippet... Surprised me a bit and I had to ask him what his failure rate was with this knot. 

 

Of course he looked me in a funny way and commented it didn't fail . 

 

It is now my  choice  for fly to shock tippet. 

 

Carl Z  

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Carl...

 

Most loop knots, clinch knots of various types, snell knots, etc. resist failure when used to affix the fly to a heavy shock tippet ..... so resistance to failure is rarely the most important issue.  Here is what I seek when chosing that connection:-

 

1.) Does the knot / connection result in the desired movement of the fly ?  (Sometimes I want it to track straight .... sometimes I prefer to have it, "swim".  At other times I want a, "wiggle".)

 

2.) Is it bulky ?

 

3.) Is it reasonably easy to tie using heavy material (such as 60 - 80 lb. test FC or stiff nylon mono.) ?

 

4.) In the event I want a free swinging fly, I'll use a loop knot.  Can I adjust the size of that loop easily ? (In my hands the Lefty Kreh non-slip loop and the Perfection loop don't lend themselves to really small loops.... hard to adjust.  Very easy to make neat small loops with the Homer Rhode loop.)

 

5.) Does the standing part come straight out of the loop ..... or off to one side ?

 

6.) Does the tag end come out toward the fly ?.... or toward the leader (where it would tend to catch weeds.) ?

 

7.) Am I likely to be fighting a monstrous fish for several hours ? (A standard Homer Rhode may pinch itself off after many hours under tension.) 

 

Gordy

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Link to tarpon from Guy Manning:-

 

Here is a link to a tarpon taken on a fly in Angola recently. This came from a thread on Threadfin in the Saltwater forum on Sexyloops.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y280/corin4/_MG_9527-1.jpg

 

 

Guy Manning

FFF Master Certified Casting Instructor

Moderator FFFCCI Yahoo Group

www.castflys.net

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Guy...

Looks a lot like one I lip gaffed for Dave Sylvester on my skiff.  That fish wasn't weighed nor did we measure the girth.... but it was 1 3/4" short of 8 ' in length.   Dave and I had both cast to a school of big boys..... I hooked up with a smaller one, then broke it off when I saw the size of Dave's fish.  took 3 1/2 hours for him to land the critter.

I was fishing Rod Harrison of Australia ("Harro") one day, when he hooked one about the same size.  Lost that one when the class tippet gave way near the skiff after about the same length of time.

Gordy

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